Text For Citation: 01 Item/Group: 001 Hazard: HEAT

Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970: The employer did not furnish employment and a place of employment which were free from recognized hazards that were causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm to employees in that employees were exposed to the condition(s) listed below: a) On or about December 3, 1996, employees working as feed truck operators used an LP gas torch to heat the interior of a storage tank containing tallow, used as an ingredient in cattle feed. This torch, which was not equipped with any form of regulator or other safety device, was lit and inserted into the top of the tank to heat the interior. It was left unattended for over an hour and created an explosive mixture of LP gas and air inside the tank after it went out. Employees were thus exposed to the hazards of explosion and fire from the ignition of this explosive gas mixture. Among other methods, one feasible and acceptable abatement method to correct this hazard is to prohibit the use of such a torch to heat the interior of tanks containing fat or molasses.g